The invention relates to a magnetic-tape apparatus comprising a magnetic-head unit for scanning a magnetic tape, which unit is pivotable through 180.degree. between two scanning positions about a pivotal axis substantially perpendicular to the magnetic tape being scanned and which is carried by a head support which is rotatably mounted by means of a mounting device and which is rotatable about the pivotal axis, which head support has a duct leading to the magnetic-head unit carried by the head support and to the end of the head support which is remote from the magnetic-head unit, which duct is traversed by at least a flexible conductor board having conductor tracks connected to the magnetic-head unit and also leading to a signal processing circuit of the apparatus, which board at its end leading to the signal processing circuit comprises a connecting portion which is widened relative to the section situated in the duct.
A magnetic-tape apparatus of the type defined in the opening paragraph is known and is commercially available. In the known apparatus, the flexible conductor board comprises only six adjacent conductor tracks for electrically connecting the magnetic-head unit to the signal-processing circuit. Owing to the comparatively small number of conductor tracks these tracks can be comparatively wide, so that mechanically the conductor tracks are comparatively robust. In the area adjacent the magnetic-head unit and extending through the duct the flexible conductor board is divided into two conductor board strips by a dividing zone which extends in the same direction as the duct and whose width is slightly smaller than the diameter of the duct, which is of circular cross-section in this case. This ensures that the two conductor board strips in the duct always have a flat shape, so that the conductor board strips and the conductor tracks provided on these strips are not mechanically loaded. To pass the flexible conductor board through the duct of the head support, which is necessary during manufacture of the apparatus, there are two possibilities. With the first possibility the conductor tracks of the conductor board are first electrically connected to the magnetic-head unit, which means that subsequently the widened connecting portion of the flexible conductor board has to be passed through the duct. For this purpose the widened connecting portion should be rolled up about a rolling axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the duct and should be pushed through the duct in its rolled-up condition. Both as a result of rolling-up and pushing through of the connecting portion it is not unlikely, despite the comparatively small number of conductor tracks and the resulting comparatively high mechanical strength of the conductor tracks of the flexible conductor board, that the mechanical loading gives rise to damaging of the conductor tracks at the location of the connecting portion, which may lead to interruptions in the conductor tracks. In such cases the entire magnetic-head unit is unserviceable and has to be removed, which is inconvenient and undesirable. With the second possibility the two narrow conductor board strips are passed through the duct and subsequently the conductor tracks of the conductor board are electrically connected to the magnetic-head unit. However, this is undesirable and problematic in view of a reliable, simple and automated electrical connection of the conductor tracks of the flexible conductor board to the magnetic-head unit or to the corresponding connections of the magnetic-head unit.